


Save the Last Dance for Me

by seb_the_owl



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Death, end of life, prepare to cry because i did, sadness forever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 06:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4049701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seb_the_owl/pseuds/seb_the_owl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy and Steve finally get that dance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Save the Last Dance for Me

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how Captain America: Civil War is going to handle Peggy's death, but this is how I would like to see it happen. Thanks to a-social-construct for doing a quick beta of this for me.

"Hey man, are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Sam asks as he pulls his car up to the curb. Steve looks up at the awning over hanging the entrance to the hospice and sighs.

"No, I don't know how long I'll be." he clears his throat and gives Sam a small, sad smile. "Text you when I'm done?"

Sam nods and waves his copy of some young adult novel, "I'll be at Starbucks down the street, take your time."

With that, Steve steps out of the car, walks through the entrance and passes the nurses station, waving as he goes by. He's been here enough that they are all on a first name basis,  _please, call me Steve. Captain_ _America_ _makes me feel like I'm at work,_ but there are no cheerful greetings, only somber nods as he makes his way down the hall.

Before he gets to his destination, he stops by a small waiting area, complete with magazines, TV's turned to CNN and a coffee pot with a constant flow of strong, black coffee. The kind of swill grieving families drink to keep their hands occupied, not because it tastes good. A huddle of people are in the corner, some looking at their phones, some staring off into the carpet, others talking quietly. A man and woman, roughly in their 60's see Steve approach and stand to greet him.

The man is tall and lean, with a high and tight hair cut that signifies his military past. The woman is a few inches shorter, with brown wavy hair shot through with gray.

"Captain," the man says solemnly as he shakes Steve's hand.

Steve returns the gesture with a tight nod and shakes the woman's hand as well. "Grant, Rebecca." Steve pulls back and puts his hands on his hips, a nervous gesture. "Good to see you two again, despite the...circumstances." He falters, not sure what else to say.

Rebecca places a warm hand on his arm; Steve can feel the heat through his thin jacket. "Mom's not doing so well. The doctors don't think she'll make it through the night." She gives his arm a small squeeze, "She's pretty lucid right now and knows what’s going on. No one is with her now if you want to go in."

Steve nods tightly and attempts to swallow down the knot in this throat that's been there since he got the phone call this afternoon. A quick hug from Rebecca and a light slap on the back from Grant, Steve makes his way to the room and steps through the door.

 

* * *

 

The lights are dim in the single occupant room. The soft sounds of machines whirring, the whoosh of A/C and staggered breathing are the only noises. Steve steps up to the bed and pulls the tall stool over next to it. The woman in the bed is lightly dozing and stirs as Steve folds his hand over hers, paper thin skin and frail bones.

Her eyes peep open and her mouth drops, “Oh…oh Steve.” Her voice is rough but clear. “You’re here.” She says this as a matter of fact, with a large smile, because of course Steve was supposed to be here.

Steve gives a soft smile, “Yes, Peggy, I’m really here. It’s a long story but-“

Peggy cuts him off, “Yes, yes, I remember. The ice and coming back from the dead and all that.” She attempts to flop her hand in dismissal but only manages to lift it a couple inches off the bed.

Steve leans back in surprise. Every other time he has come to see her he’s had to explain over and over again that, yes, he is alive, and no she’s not seeing things. But, isn’t that a small miracle, that she would finally remember him once she was on her way out, her mind finally clear to save Steve the heart break of telling her the story once again.

Steve fishes out his phone and places it in the dock on the clock radio by the bed. He pokes at the screen until a soft, but upbeat melody starts up.

Peggy coughs raggedly but manages to ask, “What’s this?”

Standing and shedding his jacket, Steve holds out a hand, palm up, “Ma’am, may I have this dance?”

“Oh, Steve,” Peggy says as Steve picks her hand up and lifts it to his lips.

“You know I can’t let my best girl leave without a dance.” Carefully, mindful of her IV, Steve slides an arm each under her upper back and under her knees. Thankfully, the IV line is long enough that Steve can hold her, bridal style, next to the bed with out any of the needles pulling.

Peggy slowly lifts her arms up to loop them around Steve’s neck and smiles softly as Steve begins to rock. It’s not a proper dance, the music isn’t even swing, but something from the 60’s that Sam turned him on to. Peggy leans her head to rest on her arm that is against his shoulder and Steve places a kiss to her forehead.

Steve looks down on her face, pale from the pneumonia that is currently attacking her body. She looks up, takes his jaw in a chilled palm and rubs her thumb over his cheek. “I missed you so much darling.” Her eyes shine in reverence and unshed tears as she continues. “We could have had such a life together.”

Shaking his head, Steve leans into her thin hand. “No Peggy, that wasn’t the plan for us. I don’t think it ever was.” He places a kiss to her palm. “You had an amazing life, married a great man-“ He smirks, “trust me, I looked him up.”

You don’t have a friend like Tony Stark and _not_ use his incredible connections and technology. His smile grows as he keeps talking, low and controlled, “I wouldn’t have let my girl be with some bum, you know.”

Not that he could have done anything about it, what with being frozen in the ice and all, but it’s nice to think that he could have. That draws a smile and a small laugh from Peggy that turns into a coughing fit. Steve, for all his strength, gently holds her through it.

“You two would have gotten along. Robert also had a surprising lack of self-preservation.” She teases.

“I wish I could have met him.” Steve agrees. Robert had died in the early 00’s, before Steve had been discovered and defrosted. Still, by all accounts he had been a right guy and treated Peggy well.

“I love you Peggy Carter. I think I loved you the moment you slugged Hodge.” Steve smiles at the memory. He didn’t particularly care for Hodge and seeing a dame as confident as Peggy put him down, well, he practically had hearts in his eyes.

Peggy ran her finger tips over his cheekbone, “And I love you Steve Rogers. I know I loved you the moment I saw that fire in your eyes. The one that said that you would fight for what you believed in and devil take who ever got in your way.” She smiles a watery smile, the tears starting to spill out of her eyes.

Steve leans forward and places another kiss to her forehead before ducking his head further to place a gentle, chaste kiss against her lips. It is sweet and slow and Peggy moves her hand to the back of Steve’s neck. Steve moves their foreheads together and stands and sways to the music as Peggy drifts off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Steve shuts the door quietly as he leaves the room and unlocks his phone.

_I’m going to stay the rest of the night. Head home and I’ll call you or Nat in the morning._

Sam texts back almost immediately: _you sure? i can bring you food or smt_

_No, I’ll just grab something from the cafeteria here._ Steve hit send but then added, _Thanks for being here for me. I’ll let you know if I need anything._

Sam is a good friend, almost as good as Bucky was. _Is, might be, if I can find him_. He shoves those thoughts aside as Sam replies.

_no problem, i got your back_

 

* * *

 

The majority of the rest of the night is spent playing with Peggy’s grandkids and regaling the family with stories about Peggy during The War. Regular trips to her room are made to check up on her. She is no longer responding to the antibiotics and it is just a matter of time at this point. When the doctors notice her vitals dropping off, the immediate family and Steve piles into her room to be with her. Steve holds her hand to his lips again with her daughter and son holding her other on the opposite side of the bed. Not too long after, she sighs long and deep and Peggy Carter is gone.

 

* * *

 

 

Everyone grieves differently, but for Steve, his immediate reaction is to find a dark room away from everyone and cry hard and loud. He gives himself this moment to grieve for the woman he loves, for the life he never got to have, for the friends he’s lost. He gives himself this moment because he never let himself feel, just _feel_ since he’s been out of the ice. Soon the sobs subside and Steve sits shaking where he is on the floor, legs pulled up and arms resting on his knees.

He breathes in deep through his nose and out his mouth slowly several times, settling his body, his soul. Peggy is gone. But. He feels at peace knowing that while she was devastated when he went into the ice with the _Valkrye_ , she lived a long, full life, surrounded by people who loved her. It’s not the future he wanted, but he’s ok with that.

Exhausted, he texts Sam.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Of course I named her son Grant, I wanted to destroy ALL your feels.


End file.
